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Political science, English language and literature, and Arabic language and literature graduate

Previously held positions

2020-2023        Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France in Bucharest

2017-2020        Director of culture, education, research and networks at the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs

Honors

• Knight of the French Legion of Honor
• Officer of the National Order of Merit
• Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters

Sandra Géhénot, BA Languages, MSC Business, worked as Key Account Manager for Railfreight Distribution (international freight division of British Rail) and EWS (now DB Cargo) for 10 years before joining UIC in 2000 as Senior Freight Advisor where she managed many projects with special focus on combined transport and rail operation. She was also in charge of corridor development through the ECCO project for European Rail Freight Corridors and the Global Team of Experts (GTE) for transcontinental developments. In this context she has collaborated regularly with many international partners such as UNECE, OTIF, CIT, UIRR, BIC, CCTT…

She was appointed UIC Freight Director in November 2016 and moved on to become Director of the European Region of UIC in 2023.

Sandra is a Belgian national, born in Italy, brought up in a Franco-German family. A native speaker of French, she also speaks English, Italian and German.

She is married, with one daughter.

Levan Beridze began his duties as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Hellenic Republic in June 2024. Before this assignment, he served as the Consul General of Georgia in San Francisco between 2020 and 2024 where, as the head of the mission, he contributed to the further development of economic, cultural, and people-to-people ties between Georgia and the western states of the United States. Several important projects were successfully implemented under the leadership of Mr. Beridze, which strengthened cooperation between Georgia and the US in tech, innovation, trade, tourism, and other related fields.

Before this particular appointment, Mr. Beridze served as a Counselor at the Embassy of Georgia to the United States for four years, where he led the Economic Section. Earlier, he worked as a First Secretary at the same Embassy being responsible for the economic cooperation matters between Georgia and the US.

Before joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Mr. Beridze worked for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), where he was part of the project management team leading the Economic Rehabilitation Program in the conflict-affected regions of Georgia. In the period between 2009 – 2012 he worked as a Marketing Manager for the private Georgian wine company “Tiflisi Marani” contributing to the popularization of Georgian wine in the United States and Europe.

Mr. Beridze holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from the University of Delaware, USA.

With Georgian as his native language, he is fluent in English and Russian as well.

Date and place of birth, 5 September 1981, Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan

Education

• MA in International Relations, University of Wales, Great Britain
• Kazakh Ablai Khan University of International Relations and World Languages, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan
• Foreign Languages: English, Polish.

Honors

• State Award of the Republic of Kazakhstan «For Exceptional Service»
• Jubilee medal «25 years of the Diplomatic service of the Republic of Kazakhstan», «30 years of the Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan»

Career

2002 – 2003, Specialist of the Department of Export, Department of Weapon and Military Equipment Imports, Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan

2003 – 2004, Third Secretary, Department of Europe and America, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan

2004 – 2005, Assistant to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

2005 – 2005, Second Secretary, Center for Cooperation with the OSCE, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan

2005 – 2009, First Secretary, Embassy of Kazakhstan to Poland

2009 – 2010, Special Adviser to the Director, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

2011 – 2012, Associate Programme Officer, TND Department, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

2013 – 2015, Head, Pan-European Cooperation Division, Department of Europe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan

2015 – 2017, Deputy Director General, Department of Europe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan

2017 – 2020, Counsellor, Deputy Head of Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Hellenic Republic

2020 – 2022, Director General of the Department of Europe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan

2022-2025, Minister-Counsellor, Deputy Head of Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Deputy Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Kingdom of Belgium and Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Since January 2025, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Hellenic Republic

Ambassador Rudrendra Tandon assumed charge as India’s Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic on  27 June 2023. Prior to Athens, Ambassador Tandon was Additional Secretary (BIMSTEC & SAARC) in the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi.

Ambassador Rudrendra Tandon joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1994. He has held postings at the Indian Embassies in Paris (France), Algiers (Algeria), Kabul (Afghanistan), and Moscow (Russia), and served as India’s Consul General in Jalalabad (Afghanistan). He served as India’s Ambassador to the ASEAN Secretariat from July 2018 to August 2020 and to Afghanistan from September 2020 to August 2021.

While posted in India, he has served as Under Secretary (Pakistan), Director in the Prime Minister’s  Office, Director (Pakistan), JS (PAI), and Joint Secretary (UNP).

Ambassador Tandon has done a Master’s Degree in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics and is married to an Indian Police Service Officer.

Stavros Avgoustides is a career diplomat, serving in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus since 1998.

On 2 October 2023, Mr. Avgoustides was appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus in the Hellenic Republic. He is also accredited to the Republic of Albania and Georgia.

In the end of September 2023, Mr. Avgoustides successfully completed his mission as the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

He previously served in Cyprus’ diplomatic missions: Deputy Head of Mission/Consul in Damascus, Syria (1999-2001); Consul in Athens, Greece (2002-2006); Chargé d’ Affaires a.I. in Sofia, Bulgaria (2006-2009); General Consul in Toronto, Canada (2009-2011); and as the Ambassador of the Republic in Sofia, Bulgaria (2014-2018).

During Cyprus’ Presidency of the European Council (2012), he successfully chaired the European Council’s Working Group on Consular Affairs (COCON).

At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nicosia, he served in both the Protocol and Consular Affairs Divisions (1998-1999 and 2011-2014); in the EU Affairs Division (2001-2002); and as Head of the Middle East Department in the Middle East and Africa Division (2018-2019).

Born in Nicosia, Cyprus in 1972, he is holder of an MBA – University of Reading, UK (Henley Business School), an MA in International Relations and European Studies – University of Kent, UK (London Centre of International Relations), and an a BA in Political science & economics – Arizona State University, USA.

In 2018, Mr. Avgoustides was bestowed by H.E. the President of the Republic of Bulgaria Rumen Radev with the Order of the Madara Horseman – First Class, for his significant contribution to the establishment, strengthening and development of bilateral relations between Cyprus and Bulgaria, as well as for his efforts and support in raising awareness and funds for local and international charity organizations assisting children in Bulgaria.

Also a self-taught contemporary artist, has showcased and donated his artwork in a number of charity exhibitions, and promoted Cyprus’ rich culture through various creative collaborations.

He is married to Mrs. Daniela Ioannidou and has two children.

CAREER

May 1996: Joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)

Dec. 2002: First Secretary, Korean Embassy in the Kingdom of Belgium and Korean Mission to the European Union

Dec. 2005: Counsellor, Korean Embassy in the Republic of Lebanon

Dec. 2009: First Secretary, Korean Embassy in the United States of America

Apr. 2013: Assistant Secretary, Office of the President

Feb. 2014: Director, Protocol Division I, MOFA

Dec. 2014: Counsellor, Korean Embassy in the Republic of Singapore

May 2018: Counsellor, Korean Embassy in the Arab Republic of Egypt

Jul. 2020: Minister and Consul-General Korean Embassy in the Federal Republic of Germany

Oct 2022: Director-General for Protocol Affairs, MOFA

Mar. 2023: Deputy Protocol Secretary, Office of the President

Jul. 2024: Ambassador, Korean Embassy in the Hellenic Republic

AWARD: Dec. 2011, Prime Minister’s Citation

EDUCATION

Aug. 1995: B.A. in Spanish Language, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul, Korea

May 2001: M.A. in Law and Diplomacy, The Fletcher School, Tufts University, MA, USA

Dr. Efthymiopoulos is Director of Strategy International (SI) a two-pillar consulting and think tank institution. He is Associate Professor of International Security and Strategy at Neapolis University Pafos, in Cyprus. He is a former Dean of the College of Security and Global Studies, American University in the Emirates. Worked for the UAE Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research in Abu Dhabi. Was a Senior Scholar in the USA, at Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University and George Washington University and the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars. Has been awarded his PhD from the University of Crete in Greece. He was Alexander S. Onassis Scholar. Holds NATO’s Defense College Diploma, a Masters in Advanced International Studies, Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, Austria and BA(Hons) in International Relations and Politics, from the University of Lincoln in the UK. Has worked with various governments as advisor and expert, in the Chicago USA, Abu Dhabi UAE and Nicosia Cyprus among others. You may find more of his work at efthymiopoulos.gr or through strategyinternational.org.